Raphael Lesuuda

Raphael Lesuuda

Post: Standard 1

Hometown: Samburu North

Mother tongue: Samburu

First to become a teacher: Yes. Also the first to go to school.

On becoming a teacher:

Raphael met Jane Newman at a time when his family was surviving through hardship due to a severe drought. Raphael’s family members are pastoralists and as such are dependent on their livestock. Losing animals to environmental conditions compromised the family’s ability to pay his school fees and squashed his dream of becoming a lawyer. Jane enrolled Raphael in a college in Maralal where is currently working towards his degree in education.

On being surprised about teaching (expectations and Day 1 jitters):

On Raphael’s first day of teaching he was struck by a question all teachers have had at least once in their life: ‘Are they getting what I am saying?’ Although he is fluent in English, Kiswahili and Samburu, Raphael wondered if his accent made it hard for the students to understand what he was saying.

On sharing and learning from each other:

Raphael is interested in learning strategies for teaching “slow learners”.

Requests:

Practical materials are scarce at NWPS. Raphael pointed out that most students are pastoralists and therefore unfamiliar with items discussed in the reading such as fruits. “We don’t have those materials to feel, touch, smell or explore.”

Raphael pointed out the need for games – recreational and educational.

Click to listen to the interview.